


Slowly

by Sybli



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Gen, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, but it's pretty platonic, could be read as harry/charlie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:08:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23555830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sybli/pseuds/Sybli
Summary: Being an Auror is everything Harry expected. So why does he hate it so much?
Relationships: Harry Potter & Charlie Weasley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	Slowly

“Hey.”

Harry looked back towards the door in surprise; he hadn’t thought anyone had noticed him slip out.

“Hey, Charlie. Need a bit of air?” Harry shifted over so that both of them could sit on the step. Charlie chuckled as he sat down. 

“Yeah, some air to get away from Ron and his endless talk of Auror training.” There was a comfortable pause. “Same as you, I guess.”

Harry shot a sharp glance in his direction, but there was no accusation in Charlie’s voice, just understanding. “Well, it’s good that he’s excited,” he said lightly. Charlie snorted. “So excited he can’t even tell his best mate doesn’t want to talk about work during Christmas dinner.”

“Work’s fine,” said Harry defensively. “It’s just -” _that he hates it, that he lays awake for hours in the morning dreading getting up, that he has nightmares every night, that sometimes he feels like he just can’t bear it anymore_ \- “that he talks about it a lot.” 

Charlie doesn’t respond at first, staring across the moonlit moor that surrounds the Burrow. Harry followed his gaze, looking but not really seeing.

“Did you know that I worked in the Ministry for awhile? After I graduated?” Harry tried to imagine Charlie, ponytail, burn scars, leather jacket and all, working for the Ministry and came up short. “No,” he said after a moment.

“Can’t believe Mum hasn’t told you. Proudest time of her life, at least before Perce started working there. I worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. I thought I could make her proud and do something I loved at the same time. Didn’t quite work out,” he finished wryly.

“Why not?” Harry asked quietly.

“I hated it,” Charlie said bluntly. “I hated the paperwork, hated the office, hated most of my coworkers. Hated Mum for a while, too, because she was just so proud, could never stop talking about _her son in the Ministry_. I woke up every morning wondering if I could call in sick, and then I was late half the time anyway from dragging my feet on the way out the door. Got to the point where I spent all my time dreading work.”

“And then you just - left?” Harry asked, feeling breathless. He didn’t look at Charlie.

“No, I was stubborn.” Harry could hear the smile in his voice. “I thought I could stick it out ‘til it got better.” There was a pregnant pause. “It didn’t.”

“So what happened then? Did you change your mind?” In the corner of his eye Charlie shifted, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly.

“First, Tonks had to come kick my arse,” Charlie chuckled softly. “We were in the same year at Hogwarts, and we both entered the Ministry at the same time. She punted me out of bed one weekend when I was moping and told me if I didn’t quit, she was going to get Moody to threaten someone into firing me. Then she gave me a hiring ad for the reserve in Romania, said she’d picked it up when she was there on a case. I still think she went job-hunting for me. I gave my notice the next week.”

“And it all worked out.” Harry murmured, tucking his knees into his chest.

“And it all worked out,” Charlie agreed. Harry remained stubbornly silent, staring ahead. He felt rather than saw Charlie turn to face him.

“Harry.”

Harry reluctantly looked over at Charlie. His eyes were endlessly kind. “I know the look on your face, when Ron starts talking about work, because it was how I felt. Except yours is worse, because it looks like you haven’t slept since the war ended.” He paused, like he was picking his words. 

“You don’t have to be an Auror, you know. You don’t have to be a Hit Wizard, or a pro Quidditch player, or a politician. You don't _have_ to be anything.”

Mortifyingly, Harry’s eyes started to well up. He blinked a few times, focusing his attention back on the moor. He could still feel Charlie’s eyes on the side of his face.

“...I don’t know how to tell them that I hate it,” he finally said quietly. “Ron, Hermione… they’re both so excited to start their lives without the war hanging over them. I… don’t really know who I am, without the war.” Silence hung heavy in the air for a long moment.

“Then leave, and find out.”

Charlie’s voice was steady, and sure, and all the things Harry wished he could be right now instead of blinking back more tears.

“Is it really that easy?”

“No. But it’ll be easier than standing still.”

“Where would I even go?”

“You could come with me. To Romania.” Harry’s gaze snapped back to Charlie, incredulous. He shrugged, shoulder brushing Harry’s.

“They’ll take anyone willing to get their hands dirty and learn, for however long they want to stay. Most people there won’t know or care who you are, so long as you put in the effort. And I know you can put in the effort.”

Harry stared at him. “You’ve thought about this a lot.” 

Charlie flushed a little, ears turning red. “I wanted to... be Tonks for you. Since she’s not here to do it herself. And she got me out by giving me another place to go, so… Romania.”

“Romania,” Harry echoed. They sat together in silence for another minute looking over the moonlit field, before Charlie got up, squeezing Harry’s shoulder as he did.

“Should probably get back inside before the wards start letting the cold in. Just… think about it, okay?” Charlie headed for the door.

Harry stood up. “I don’t need to think about it,” he said impulsively. “I’ll go. I want to go.”

Charlie turned to face him, a smile spreading across his face like sunshine. Harry grinned back, feeling lighter than he had in months. Years, maybe.

“I _want_ to go,” he repeated, this time for himself. Charlie’s smile softened, and he offered his hand, pulling Harry up onto the porch.

“Then we’ll go,” he said.

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from Slowly by The Altogether


End file.
